The current policy forbids blood donations from men who have had sex with other men within the past year

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A technician prepares to take a plasma donation from Tiffany Stephens at the Oneblood blood center on June 13, 2016, in Orlando, Florida. The FDA is beginning to officially reconsider its position on blood donations from gay and bisexual men in the wake of a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in that city.

Facing increased pressure from Democrats in Congress, the Food and Drug Administration began to officially reconsider its policy limiting blood donations from gay and bisexual men on Tuesday, NBC News reported.

The current policy forbids blood donations from men who have had sex with other men within the past year.

The ban was originally put in place with the intention of limiting the risk of getting the AIDS virus in blood, but activists say it's unfair and discriminatory.

The issue came to greater prominence after a June shooting killed 49 people at an Orlando, Florida, club favored by the LGBT community in June. LGBT groups complained that the restrictions made it difficult for friends and loved ones to give their blood.